Crushed (Redemption #2) by Lauren Layne

I thought the first book was great in this series, but this second book completely had me enthralled. There are so many reasons why I loved this book. I will try to list them all here as best as I can.

First of all, there was humour to be found at every paragraph. The narration is done in a way that makes you laugh a little and I think that was one of the very first things that had me thinking ‘I’m going to like this one.’ It’s also one of the things that make this book a little unique, who doesn’t love a good new adult which also makes you laugh?

Secondly, Chloe Bellamy is most definitely not your average chic. And I don’t mean that in the way how a few new adults try to hard to make their heroine different. Chloe actually is different. She doesn’t seem to fit in with the crowd surrounding her but she never lets it show. Especially having a sister like Kristin who’s always acting perfect, she can’t really compete with that because it isn’t her. She’s not one of those girls who competes instead she brushes off the fact that she’s not like her or most other girls and laughs it off, even if it does hurt. I think another reason I felt a liking towards Chloe is because she pretty much reminded me off myself in many ways so I instantly connected to her character. And honestly, that’s the most important part about reading a book; whether or not you connect to the characters.

Thirdly, I love this theme of not being perfect or thin but about embracing yourself the way you are. This book showed how confidence is everything even if looks necessarily aren’t. Because looks are superficial and they fade but it’s what’s inside that stays. Chloe is a little curvy. She eats her feelings and we see Michael trying to help her with that little issue. But we don’t see her as this perfect girl, with perfect features. She’s normal. Every woman in new adult books in some ways looks perfect, I mean Chloe is pretty but in a natural sense not in the society ideal way. And I feel that’s such an important message to have added to this story.

Fourthly (is that even a word?), there’s very limited angsty scenes in this one and that’s not even a bad thing. It shows that there’s an actual storyline which keeps you reading and that there wasn’t any need to add unnecessary angsty scenes. I feel nowadays authors think including sex in every bloody chapter is a necessity for new adult. That is so not the case and Lauren Layne proves it. I mean don’t get me wrong I do like my adult-y books but it was a nice change. It reminded me of what a good story should like, a good book stands out because of it’s writing and story and that’s exactly what this one does.

Without further ado, I honestly cannot form the perfect words for how great this read was. I recommend the heck out of this. I have become a major Lauren Layne fan, her writing, story is simply brilliant and the best part? Different! I am very glad to have read this book and I’m sure you will be too.

This girl is just… I don’t even know that I can come up with a word beyond different.